# Describe a gadget you use often: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Technology

Describe an electronic gadget you use often.

You should say:
- what the gadget is
- when and how you got it
- what you use it for
- and explain why it is important to you

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

The gadget I'd like to talk about is my noise-cancelling headphones, which I use almost every day.

I bought them about two years ago, just after I moved into a shared flat in the city centre. The flat is in a very busy area, and there's a bar downstairs, so it's noisy almost all the time. I was finding it really hard to concentrate when I was working from home, so I did a lot of research online, read many reviews and finally I decided to buy a good pair. They were quite expensive, actually, nearly a week's salary, but I saved up for a couple of months.

I use them for lots of different things. Mainly I use them when I'm working, because I can turn on the noise-cancelling mode and suddenly the traffic and the music from the bar just disappear. I also use them on the bus every morning to listen podcasts, and when I go on long flights, because they block out the sound of the engines, so I'm much less tired when I arrive. Sometimes I don't even play anything, I just wear them to have some silence.

They're important to me because they help me to be more productive and less stressed. Before I had them, I often felt tired and irritating at the end of the day, and I think the noise was a big reason for that. Also, I'm quite an introverted person, so when I'm in a crowded place, wearing them gives me a feeling of having my own personal space. I honestly don't know how I lived without them before.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer is clear and well organised, explaining the gadget's uses with relevant examples. Vocabulary is good ("noise-cancelling", "saved up", "block out", "productive", "introverted"), but "so" is used very frequently, and there are typical slips: "to listen podcasts" (rather than "to listen to podcasts") and "tired and irritating" (rather than "irritated"). Band 8 would add more precise and idiomatic vocabulary, more complex structures and a more fluid, varied way of linking ideas.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-gadget-you-use-often).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.